Jackets three-peat
- Updated: January 26, 2019
Oxford wins its third straight State Duals wrestling championship, gives Routon his first state crown
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM – Oxford wrestling coach Kyle Routon remembers every little detail of the match two years ago when the Yellow Jackets beat his then Southside team for the first State Duals championship. He will never forget the match Friday night when he finally won one of his own.
The Yellow Jackets won their third straight Class 6A State Duals title – and first under Routon – with a 42-27 victory over Gardendale at the Birmingham Crossplex.
“I guess I’m speechless,” Routon said. “It was a good team win. The thing I’m going to remember about this is probably that I finally got that danged monkey off my back, I guess. It really just makes me super happy I took the leap of faith to leave home and come here.”
Routon has six state runner-up finishes in his coaching career (five in the tradition state finals, one in duals). Oxford has won all three 6A State Duals and is working on two traditional titles in a row.
The championship run Friday came after the Jackets lost the first three matches – two by pin – and fell behind 15-0. They came roaring back with the six pack in the middle of their lineup, winning all six matches to go ahead 25-15.
Kaleb Shelton (120) and Chase Hicks (145) both scored first-period pins; Landon Burrage (126), Wesley Slick (132) and Reed Hill (152) all scored decision and Jakob Chisolm (138), who clinched the title two years ago against Routon and Southside, scored a major decision.
Burrage, Slick, Chisolm, Hicks and Reed are the Fab-5 who have been a part of all three Duals titles.
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“It is the meat (of the order),” Routon said. “When you’ve got those six or seven guys in a row you always feel good. You always feel like you’ve got a chance when you’ve got six of those guys in a row.”
Tristen Latham moved the Jackets closer to their three-peat with a pin at 170 and Octavius Adair clinched it with a tech fall at 195. Kobe Shumaker wrapped it all up with a pin at 220.
“When we got to those ’82, ‘95, 220, we needed one win out of those three weight classes (to clinch),” Routon said. “I just kept telling myself we’re going to get one of these. Of course, we ended up getting two.”
And now he finally has his one.
STATE DUALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Oxford 42, Gardendale 27
285 – Trevon Tanniehill (G) pinned Jalen Bradford, 1:07
106 – Melton Powe (G) dec. over Garrett Howell, 9-7
113 – Alex Webb (G) pinned Kash Hornsby, 1:21
120 – Kaleb Shelton (O) pinned Vincet Zeigler, 4:38
126 – Landon Burrage (O) dec. over Luis Pribyl, 4-3
132 – Wesley Slick (O) dec. over Devyn Scoggins, 14-7
138 – Jakob Chisolm (O) maj. dec. over Keenan Wyatt, 11-1
145 – Chase Hicks (O) pinned Dalton Brazeel, 1:11
152 – Reed Hill (O) dec. over Russ Boackle, 6-0
160 – Carson Kim (G) pinned Kendrick Young, 4:35
170 – Tristen Latham (O) pinned Isaac Gillis, 1:55
182 – Derrick Orvik (G) pinned Keeshon Siaosi, 4:45
195 – Octavius Adair (O) tech fall over Nate Crim, 20-2
220 – Kobe Shumaker (O) pinned Jeremy Simpson, 1:02
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